Thursday, February 5, 2009

Proverbs 12:5The plans of the righteous are just,but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

This is probably dumb, but sometimes I feel guilty for making plans. I feel like I shouldn't have to make plans, I should just pray more. I feel like my options are to either plan or pray. For instance, I want to write a book and speak at more churches, but if I actually call churches and conferences and make plans to do that, God will be disappointed in me. He'll look down from heaven and grumble, "Why do you keep making plans? I want you to wait at home, on the couch and let me provide you everything you need." And didn't Proverbs 12:2 say that favor comes from the Lord?

But here, the righteous are making plans and the plans are just. They have not failed because they made plans. They are not sinning because they have made plans. I think it’s OK to prepare. To work hard on our dreams and our goals. I don't think making plans means we don't trust God. In fact, it might actually be an act of trust. Because when you plan, you put yourself out there. Planning takes hope and trust in a Lord that knows the outcome of all situations but might not have shared them with you yet.

My problem is that I rely too much on the planning because I want to be in control and know the outcome. And for me, there is fine line between planning and trusting in God that I don't realize I've crossed. I have a hard time with this one...

Well, that depends. If you use planning, like I did for much of my life, as a way to escape the here and now, it can be a very destructive practice indeed. I was constantly thinking about what comes next. In my mind it was always about where I wanted to be fifteen minutes from now, fifteen days from now or fifteen months from now. It was never about now. I used it as a way to disengage or better yet as a way to avoid ever being engaged in the first place. If my mind is elsewhere, you don’t matter. I don’t even have to acknowledge you. Since I already planned this moment at some point in the past, it’s already over for me. You’re history. I’ve already moved on to the next thing.

Great post, and great thoughts on planning versus praying. I've been reading a book by Dallas Willard called "Hearing God" and it is related to this idea. My favorite illustration he gives is at the very beginning of the book. He writes about a mother watching her child on the playground. He says something to the effect of, "Whether the kid plays on the swing, the slide, or the monkey bars, if he's playing happily, he is completely in his mother's will." Essentially, his point is that God's will isn't necessarily a "Do this and only this; go to this school; marry this person" type of will. It's more about obedience to Him in whatever choices we make.

Anyway...thanks for sharing these daily thoughts from Proverbs! I love it.